


Sharing

by zeldadestry



Category: The OC
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, Triple Drabble
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-03-26
Updated: 2011-03-26
Packaged: 2017-10-17 07:10:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/174225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zeldadestry/pseuds/zeldadestry
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Summer helps.  He loves her and she knows what it’s like to lose a mother but, without Ryan, he’s still alone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sharing

**Author's Note:**

> Alternate Universe, following episode 222

Kirsten Cohen died seven days ago. She was buried four days ago and since then Ryan is nowhere to be found. Seth figures he’s probably taken off to Chino, found some measure of refuge in Theresa, but he can’t take comfort from that. All he knows is that, stripped of his mom, he now understands what bereft actually means.

Summer helps. He loves her and she knows what it’s like to lose a mother but, without Ryan, he’s still alone.

There’s nothing he can do for his dad. Sandy will figure it out, work through it on his own.

He’s been sleeping in Ryan’s bed because it smells like Ryan, wakes up in the middle of the night to find Ryan at the door, Ryan coming home. His head still aches from crying, his eyes are swollen, and all he can do is say, “Come here.”

Ryan obeys, head bowed, eyes lowered, penitent, he skulks towards his own bed, slips in beside Seth who wraps his arms around him. “You left me,” Seth whimpers against Ryan’s throat. “I needed you.”

“I’m sorry,” Ryan says, hugging Seth tighter. “I felt like I was going crazy.”

“I WAS going crazy,” Seth insists. “Ryan,” he says, and he’s crying again. He nuzzles his chin against Ryan’s shoulder, looks up to see that Ryan’s own cheeks are dry, though his eyes are glassy; he’s gathered tears he’s unwilling to shed. “You have to cry, Ryan. It doesn’t hurt as much if you do.”

Ryan grits his teeth, shakes his head. They stay silent, drift in and out of sleep. Sometimes Seth wakes to find Ryan watching over him. When Ryan finally cries, Seth kisses his face, his throat, his hands. Afterwards, Ryan’s fingers gently tangle in the curls at the nape of Seth’s neck.


End file.
